


Our First Date

by awhitefairytale



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 03:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1713095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awhitefairytale/pseuds/awhitefairytale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Regina have been talking long enough Emma has decided. This little story is about their first date and the events leading up to it. It is one of the memories from my story Dreaming</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You are WHAT?!" The glass in Snow's hand broke, having crushed it after hearing her daughter's news. What she'd just heard topped the list of craziest things she'd ever heard. Dropping what was left in her hand, she stalked towards Emma, hand bleeding. Furious didn't even begin to explain how she felt in that moment.

"You're bleeding. We should get that looked at."

"Emma Swan don't you dare try to distract me. There is no way in hell I am letting you go on a date with  _her._ "

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm 28, not 16." Emma was irritated. She knew her mother had issues with Regina, but she didn't have the right to tell her who she could and couldn't see.

"I won't allow it."

"It's not your choice."

Snow groaned, frustrated. Looking at her hand, she finally realized how much it really hurt. It stung and the blood was flowing quickly. She wondered if she'd need stitches. Feeling a little dizzy she turned and stormed off into her bathroom, running her hand under the faucet. Emma followed not far behind, reaching into the cabinets to find the first aid kit.

"That look's kind of deep mom," Emma reached for her mother's hand, only to have Snow pull it away from her.

"Don't touch me."

"You can't be serious. You're being childish."

"Don't touch me Emma." The cold water felt good on the cuts. She didn't want anyone to touch her.

"You're really that mad?"

"Mad? Emma, I'm beyond furious! You're going on a date with the woman who tried to kill me! Multiple times!"

Drying her hand off, Snow reached for the gauze, trying to wrap her own hand only to end up failing. Emma grabbed her hand, not taking any refusal of help. She wrapped a little before she said anything.

"She saved our lives," Emma sighed, finished wrapping Snow's hand.

Groaning, Snow walked out of the bathroom and to the living room, almost tripping on one of Emma's shoes.

"Emma! I told you to pick up your shoes!" She grabbed Emma's boot and chucked it across the room before turning to face the blonde to her right.

"How many times are you going to shove that in my face? You, Henry, and even your father!"

"Probably until you get over the whole 'she tried to kill me' thing."

Exasperated, Snow flopped down on the couch, Emma not far behind. Silence ensued, neither sure what to say to the other.

"Mar…Mom. Okay I realize you two had a rough past, I really do. But this is the present and the future we're talking about. You've just gotta let it go. She's such a great person and she's really worked hard to redeem herself. "

"How did this even come about?" Snow rubbed at her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Well… um… We've both had small feelings for each other all along. Though we hated each other, there was I don't know, an instant connection from the start? And it became a little more at the mine. And then when she saved us, we officially started talking and …."

"Three months?!"

"Yeah and then when the curse broke, we kind of…"

"Okay I don't need any more details." Snow said, covering Emma's mouth with one hand while rubbing her forehead with the other.

"I can't believe this," After a moment, she moved her hand from Emma's mouth and sighed.

"We haven't had sex if that's what you want to know."

"Emma Swan! I said I didn't need any more details! Ugh three months and you never mentioned this." Snow stood up quickly, as if hot coals were beneath her, turning to face Emma. "I don't like this." She crossed her arms, hoping to look menacing enough to convince Emma not to do it.

"I know."

"So why are you doing it?"

The blonde shrugged. "I have grown up doing what I wanted to do. What I thought was best for me, whether right or wrong. If I wanted it, I did it. I didn't really have people telling me no. Well, I did but it wasn't anyone that mattered. I just did what I wanted," sighing she continued, "I want this…thing with Regina. I haven't felt so good about anything in my life. Not even with… Neal." Emma closed her eyes tight, wishing her mother would understand. She was going on the date, if Regina said yes, but she didn't want Snow to be mad at her.

Snow, having seen the look in Emma's eyes during the small speech, groaned. She had  _the look_. The look that said she was in love. Who was she, Snow White, to stand in the way of love? There had been a number of people that had tried to stand in her way and that had only made her fight harder. Knowing defeat, she threw her hands up.

"Fine. Fine, do whatever you want. Don't expect me to just get over everything instantaneously, Emma."

Emma grinned, jumping up to hug her mother.

"I don't expect that. Thank you for understanding."

"I don't…"

"Whatever." Emma smiled, hugging her for only a little longer. The excitement finally exploded inside of Emma. Looking at her watch, she freaked, seeing she had very little time to get to the diner before Regina did.

Releasing her mother, she turned and grabbed her brand new black leather jacket, a gift from her parents. She sprinted toward the door.

"Bye!" She was out the door before Snow had even had time to register she was leaving. The door slammed shut and Snow blinked, not sure what to do with herself.

 _She has to say yes._ Emma thought.

Emma ran out of the building and to her car, just passing her father.

"Hey Emma, I…"

"Don't have time to talk! Be back later!" She said, not even turning to talk to him.

Getting into the car and starting it, she knew she had to book it if she wanted time to get to Granny's and have a couple minutes to collect herself before Regina walked in. Oh God, Regina. She hadn't even begun to tell her mother how really in to Regina she was. She never stopped thinking about her and many nights that had kept her from sleeping. She had been telling the truth when she said they hadn't had sex yet, but that didn't mean she didn't dream about it when she did actually sleep. Regina consumed her entire brain.

_What if she doesn't say yes, Swan?_

Reaching Granny's, she parked and ran inside, praying Regina wouldn't be there.

_She'll say yes. She has to._

Looking around, there were only two other couples in the diner. It was a slow morning for Granny's apparently, which was odd because it always seemed to be busy on Saturday's.

Ruby looked up after hearing the bell ring, noticing Emma scanning the room. She began to pour the hot cocoa in a mug, topping it off with whip cream and cinnamon. Emma sat down in her normal booth just as Ruby walked the cocoa over to her.

"She's not here yet Sheriff. Should be in about five," Ruby whispered.

"That's not why I'm here," Emma stammered, staring at her mug.

"Uh huh. I know all about the night after the curse broke." Emma choked on the cocoa in her mouth and Ruby laughed. "Wolf hearing. You're lucky Granny's isn't as strong."

"Really Ruby? You remember I'm your boss right?" She couldn't believe Ruby had just said that.

"I remember. But just in case you didn't send them, a secret admirer had flowers delivered here to give to Regina when she gets in for her breakfast. They arrived just a few minutes ago."

Emma tried not to smile, putting on her concerned face.

"Well that's…interesting. I wonder who has the hots for Ms. Mills"

"She is pretty attractive. Now that she's not such an ice queen I'm sure there are plenty of people who fancy her. You better make a move Em or you're going to be left standing in the dust," remarked Ruby as she walked back toward the diner counter.

So Ruby knew about the night the curse broke, but she didn't know any more than that. She didn't know that the flowers were from her, so that was good. It was a funny thought, others trying to pursue Regina. She laughed; they were no competition for her.

_Are you sure she's going to say yes, Swan?_

The bell on the door rang and the brunette that consumed all her thoughts walked in, straight to the bar. Emma started bobbing her knee, slightly nervous. Smiling, she listened to the object of her affections order coffee and her egg white omelet. She ordered the same thing every time, never straying to new possibilities, Emma noted to herself.

_If this becomes a thing, I'm going to make sure she tries something new._

Heels clicked and Regina sat down at a table across the room, the same one she always sat at on Saturday's. Pulling the book out of her bag, she placed it on the table, opening to her current spot. Whenever Henry had a therapy session on Saturday, she would come and enjoy one of her beloved books. It wasn't really therapy so much anymore as a designated hang out time for Henry and Archie. Emma watched out of the corner of her eye as Regina became engrossed in the book.

Emma heard Ruby's footsteps and smirked down at her cocoa, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Regina, these came for you this morning," she said as she placed a giant crystal vase filled with two dozen, red, long stemmed roses on the table in front of the former mayor. Blushing, Regina leaned in to smell the roses. They were lovely.

"Who are these from, Ruby?" She asked.

Ruby winked, "Secret admirer I suppose. They were delivered here about 20 minutes ago. I think there's a card." The tall brunette smiled, walking off to continue her work duties.

Regina searched for a card, dying to figure out the identity of the sender.

When Emma had gone to see Mr. French about the flowers, she had made sure to tell him to hide the card in the flowers. She really wanted to watch Regina search excitedly for the little white envelope.

Regina found the little card tucked between a few of the flowers in the middle and with a relieved sigh, she opened the card. She was shaking with excitement when she saw the sender's handwriting.

**First date tomorrow at 7?**

**Nod yes, cough no.**

**E**

Regina was trying so hard not to look up at the blonde she knew sat across the room watching her. Emma tried as well, peeking out of the corner of her eye, watching for any movement. What seemed like hours were only seconds, before Regina nodded slightly, smiling brightly down at the card she held in her hands.

A huge sigh of relief came from Emma. She too smiled, grabbing her mug and draining the rest of the cocoa. She didn't dare look at the brunette, afraid she may run over and kiss her right there in front of everyone.

_She said yes, Swan. She said yes._

Leaving a generous tip for Ruby, she stood and walked toward the door.

_Holy hell. She said yes._

Right as she reached for the door handle, she turned and smiled at Regina. Regina blushed, having been caught watching the blonde walk out of the diner. Smiling briefly, she looked down at her book, stifling a giggle as the blonde exited.

Emma walked down the steps and towards her bug. She was grinning like a fool but didn't care. She was going on a date with the most beautiful woman in town. The most beautiful woman in town had said yes to her.

In the car, she turned her music up and sang loudly along. It wasn't until she was almost half way home that she realized she had absolutely nothing planned.

_Shit._


	2. Chapter 2

"Agh!" Emma yelled as she flopped down on her bed, trying to get her boots off without using her hands. Why hadn't she thought of the actual date sooner she asked herself? She had no idea what to do. She wanted to wow the beautiful brunette but she was at a complete blank on how to do that. She needed advice but she didn't think asking her mother would be a good idea. She had been sure a hurricane had been let loose when she had told her mother about her plan to go on a date with Regina.

There wasn't anyone else she could ask. Her relationship, whatever it may be, with Regina had been kept a secret for three months. Even Henry had no idea. Henry would know what Regina liked to do but she didn't think she was ready to tell him about her correspondence with his brunette mother. She didn't think Regina was ready to tell him either.

She went through a list of people she may be able to ask about romantic dates. When she finally reached the end, one person stuck out the most.  _Charming._ It was his nickname for a reason. Maybe her dad had an idea?

_Oh god that's going to be one awkward conversation._

But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Her parents were madly in love. He had to have some tricks up his sleeve.

Sighing, she sat up and went to find James. Walking down the stairs, she found him cooking something on the stove, humming.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Emma sat down on a bar stool as her father looked up and nodded.

"Sure."

"Where's Snow?" Emma hadn't really noticed the petite brunette wasn't around. Normally it seemed she was attached at James' hip, but now, she was absent.

"She went… out."

"Out?"

He sighed, "I imagine she's letting off some steam. She told me about the conversation you two had earlier."

"Oh." Emma stared down at her hands, not sure what to say. Was he okay with the idea? What if he wasn't? She didn't know if she could deal with another hurricane.

"I don't think you wanted to ask about your mother though?"

Pushing her away from her thoughts, she looked up. "No it wasn't, but that can wait. So she told you. Um," She nervously scratched at her ear, "How do you feel about it?"

He hesitated, not knowing quite how to word what he wanted to say. He wasn't really good at talking to his daughter yet. He didn't know how she would take the things he wanted to say to her.

"You have a way of surprising us Emma and while it did shock me, it wasn't nearly as much as your mother. For Henry's sake I've kind of tried to move on and I've seen how she's been working toward redeeming herself. I don't necessarily like that my daughter is going on a date with a woman that tried to kill my wife but there isn't anything I can do about it so I've just told myself to move on and pray that you're happy," he grabbed the pot from the stove and drained the water from the noodles.

"So you don't like it but you're not going to fight about it with me?"

"No," he replied, grabbing two bowls and scooping noodles in. He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a jar of spaghetti sauce. "Don't tell your mother I'm using store bought stuff."

Emma smirked; slightly relieved James wasn't going to yell at her. It was shocking though, that he didn't have much more to say to her on the subject.

"So what we're you going to ask Em?" Sitting a bowl down in front of her, he sat down on the bar stool next to her, scooping a giant bite of spaghetti into his mouth.

"Well, if this is awkward for you, just say so."

He nodded, too busy consuming his spaghetti to say anything.

"I need some ideas for my date tomorrow. I was so wrapped up in asking her and her saying yes that I forgot to plan anything. I just… I want to be romantic, but not cheesy," she stopped, taking a bite of her spaghetti, "I've been on dates before and it's been fine. But this is just different. This is Regina."

James looked up, a puzzled look on his face.

"You're asking me what to do on your date?"

Emma nodded, biting her lip. Maybe this had been a stupid idea. She looked down at her spaghetti, swirling her fork around the bowl. Slowly she lifted a bite to her mouth, waiting for her father to respond.

"Um… well. I remember Snow telling me she likes horses."

"I'm not taking her horseback riding for our first date," Emma replied through the food in her mouth.

"Okay, well what about cooking for her?"

At this response, Emma glared. He knew very well she couldn't cook.

"Riight, I forgot about that," He forked more spaghetti into his mouth, thinking while he chewed.

"Okay, well what about one of the restaurants in town?"

"Too typical." Emma put down her fork, frustrated over how this conversation was going.

"What about dinner  _and_  a movie?"

"Seriously? You're nickname is Charming for a reason. Dinner and a movie is the best thing you could come up with?"

Emma had lost her appetite. She pushed her bowl away from her and put her head in her hands. How could she have not come up with an idea?

"Emma, the situation with your mother and I was different. We were adventurous and were fighting battles, running from those trying to kill us. I don't know if you would consider that 'dating'," he responded, not sure where to go from there.

"You never did anything super romantic for her?"

The door opened and Snow walked in, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack.

Emma and James went quiet and Snow noticed.

"Well hello to you too," she said, walking toward her husband to kiss him. They kissed quickly and Snow took a bite of James' spaghetti.

"What was the most romantic thing dad did for you?" Emma blurted it out. She might as well just rip the band aid off and get this over with.

"Oh, by far the picnic." Snow replied quickly, smirking at the memory.

"A picnic?" Emma asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I knew there was something romantic we did!" Charming chuckled.

"Yes Emma Swan, a picnic. It was wonderful. It happened after your father proposed of course. We didn't really have time for romance before the…apple incident. That's not the point," she said shaking her head. "The point is that the picnic was wonderful. Your father surprised me."

"We rode horses to one of the lakes at sunset."

"I already said no horseback riding."

"Let us finish the story Emma," James replied, grinning.

"He had already sent people ahead to set something up for us. We got there and there were lots of candles and a basket with food in it." Snow sighed, content with the memory.

"I was surprised at how well the dwarves did. And that the food was actually there when we arrived."

"The dwarves set that up?" Snow looked shocked when James nodded.

"Wow. I'm impressed," she said turning back to Emma. "It was magical Emma. It was a spring night, only a little chilly. The food was good and you're father? Just as charming as could be." She grinned up at her Prince Charming. They kissed softly before Emma cleared her throat.

"So you're telling me to take her on a picnic?" Emma said without thinking about what her mother may think.

"Wait, this is about your date with Regina?" Snow frowned a little.

"Snow, she was having a little problem planning what to do. I was talking to her about it when you came in."

"Oh," she said, nodding. While she was slightly relieved not to have had the conversation with Emma, she was slightly sad as well. Her daughter hadn't come to her for advice.

_What do you expect Snow? You freaked out on her._

The silence was thick in the air. Emma cleared her throat and stood.

"I'm just going to go…do something." She said heading back up the stairs to her bedroom.

_A picnic?_

It was better than any idea she had had. Maybe she could make it work without it being corny.

 _Well,_  she thought as she sat on her bed _, a picnic it is then._

* * *

Regina had picked Henry up in a daze, glancing every so often at the flowers in the back seat of her car. Emma Swan had  _finally_  asked her out on a date.

 _It's about damn time,_ Regina thought smirking.

Henry noticed the smirk.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Oh…" She fumbled for an excuse, "just a joke Ruby told me at the diner today."

"A joke?" Henry didn't believe her. His mother may have been changing, but he wouldn't say she hadn't changed  _that_  much.

"Yes dear. It was actually quite funny." She turned her head briefly smiling at him, as she parked her Mercedes in the driveway. They both hopped out and Regina opened the back to grab her flowers.

"Woah," Henry hadn't noticed the flowers before. "Who are those from?"

"Well… umm… I actually don't know." She mumbled as they walked through the front door.

"You don't know?" Henry was very curious now. He was positive she knew and just didn't want to say. At this point she had set the flowers down on the dining room table. She stood straight, looking at the flowers. Henry noticed as she slipped her hand in her jacket pocket, grabbing something and then pulling her hand out, empty.

_There's something in her coat pocket._

"No, I have no idea. I'd love find out though."

"I'm sure they'll confess soon." Henry replied, acting as coolly as possible. He had to know who those flowers were from.

"Why don't you go pick out a movie for us to watch? I'll just water these and grab some snacks."

"Sure thing," he said, moving toward the family room. Regina walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass to fill with water. She watered the flowers and then slipped her coat off, hanging it on the coat rack just beside the door. She hadn't noticed Henry watching her from behind the couch. When Regina left to return to the kitchen, he quickly snuck over to the coat rack, digging into the pockets of his mother's jacket. He felt the card and quickly pulled it out. Listening carefully for his mother's footsteps, he opened the card and read the message. His eyes went wide. He couldn't believe it. There was not a name but an initial, but he was positive he knew exactly who that initial belonged to.

_My mothers are going on a date!_

Quickly, he shoved the card back into its pocket and quietly walked back to the family room. Pulling out the cell phone, he sent a quick text to his mother across town.

* * *

Emma heard her phone go off and quickly grabbed it, hoping it may be Regina. When she saw Henry's name she sighed a little, sad that it hadn't been who she wanted it to be. Then she scolded herself. Henry was her son! Unlocking the phone she opened the message. Her eyes went wide.

**Can't believe u didn't tell me that u r going on a date with mom.**

Emma closed her eyes.

_Shit._


	3. Chapter 3

Two hours later was still lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling fan, watching it spin around and around.

"What the hell are you going to do now, Emma?" She asked herself, out loud.

_Great, I'm talking to myself._

The door slammed open and Henry walked in. Emma jerked up into a sitting position, observing her son. He looked very angry.

"When were you planning on telling me you were going to ask my mom out?"

Emma bit her lip. She actually didn't know the answer to that question.

"You weren't going to tell me!" He crossed his arms and stared down the blonde in front of him. He couldn't believe this.

"Well, I was going to tell you. Um… probably when I came to pick her up?"

"You can't be serious Ma!" He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Kid, you're acting like Snow when I told her I was going to ask your mom out on a date."

"Grandma knows?!"

Emma groaned. She was not making this any better.

"Will you just sit down so I can explain?" She hadn't expected him to react like this. She patted the bed next to her, waiting for him to come and sit. Finally he gave in and sat next to her, staring down at his shoes.

"How long have you been talking to my mom?"

"Um… well. Since the well?" She grimaced, hoping he would be calm. He was anything but.

"Three months?! You've been talking to her for three months and you never ever mentioned it!"

"Okay seriously kid, you need to chill. You're going to have a heart attack or something."

Henry glared at her but stayed silent.

"Henry, nobody knew until today. Okay, Ruby knew a small detail but that was only because of her freaky wolf ability," She closed her eyes tight before continuing. "We've kept a secret, trying to see where it might go. I figured it was time to take the next step."

Henry sighed. He couldn't believe he'd never noticed. He seemed to notice everything, but this apparently.

"I'm still mad neither of you told me."

"And I'm sorry for that kid. Your mother and I just agreed that we were going to see what we wanted before we actually said anything," she looked at her son next to her, "Um… how do you feel about, you know, me and your mom?"

"I've wanted it to happen since you came to town Ma. All I've ever wanted was both of my moms happy and together."

Emma was ecstatic to hear this. She was glad someone actually liked the idea of the whole situation. But in that moment, a thought struck her.

_Shit. Regina is going to be furious that he knows before we told him._

"Wait, does your mom know that you know about us?"

Henry shook his head, looking up at her embarrassed.

"Then how do you know?" Emma was really confused.

"I, well, I kind of snooped." He looked away from his mother, not sure if she would be the one yelling this time.

"Oh kid. You are such a little shit." She said as she wrapped him in a hug, laughing. "She's going to kill you."

"I've heard that before. But I'm still here aren't I?" He grinned up at his mom, not quite as angry anymore. Emma shook her head and chuckled.

"Don't push your luck kid." Letting go of him, she pulled the elastic from her wrist and tossed her blonde curls up into a haphazard pony tail. She needed to get to work, and now that Henry knew, he could help her.

"Does your mom know you're here?"

"Yeah, I told her that I needed some help from Grandpa with something and that I would ride my bike over. I didn't want to be stuck in a car with her when I was so angry."

"Okay so you can stay. Good. I need your help planning this date."

Henry raised one eyebrow, giving her a look so much like ones Regina had given her so many times.

 _Regina._ She closed her eyes, thinking about the brunette.

_Pull yourself together Swan. If you don't plan the perfect date, there will be no more Regina for you._

"Do you have anything planned?"

"A romantic picnic," she said, knowing it sounded silly.

"A picnic?"

"Yeah, mom and dad recommended it. It was one really romantic thing they did."

"Okay. Hmm…." Henry stared up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment.

"What if you did it in that meadow everyone loves in the forest?"

"Sounds good to me. I was thinking the beach but that sounds much better."

"Mom's never really been fond of the beach here."

"Thank god you're here." She said groaning, laying back on the bed. She tossed her arm over her eyes. "This is going to be a disaster, Henry. I can't believe I didn't think about this sooner."

"It'll be fine, Ma," he turned to look at her, adjusting himself to sit comfortable against the pillows at the head of the bed. "A picnic in the meadow. We can work with this. Do you know what food you're going to take?"

"Oh god, food. What do you even take on a picnic other than sandwiches?!"

While Henry was thinking of a response, Snow walked in. She had quietly been listening for the past couple minutes. She told herself just to move on and help her daughter.

"Grilled chicken or smoked salmon, some sort of bread, fruit, a dessert, and a really nice bottle of red." Snow smiled as she sat down on the edge of the bed, hoping she could be helpful. Emma jerked up, feeling only a little light headed, and stared wide-eyed at her mother.

"Our picnic wasn't quite the same. We had chimera instead." She smirked at Emma's reaction to the word chimera. She really hadn't been fond of it when they were in fairy tale land.

"But I'm sure chicken or salmon will make a perfect substitute."

"I'd go salmon. Mom tends to lean more towards it." Henry said, smiling at Snow.

"Emma, if you want, your father and I could help."

"You want… to help me?" Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I'm your mother. Mothers are supposed to help with things like this. I think."

Emma's draw dropped.

"Close your mouth Emma. I'm not going to stay away from you because your dating queen bit…Regina." She had almost slipped in insulting Henry's mother. Henry grinned as Emma closed her mouth. He was enjoying watching his mother's interaction with his grandmother.

"Anyway, just let me know what you want us to do and we'll help."

"Um…" Emma was silent. What was she supposed to say?

"Okay then, well… I guess I'll just leave you two to it," Snow said, standing. She was kind of hurt, Emma not asking for help. She was almost to the door when Emma spoke up.

"You could cook the stuff. You know I can't cook. If I did, the food would probably poison us." Emma spoke slowly, watching her mother for a reaction.

Snow turned and grinned. No she didn't like that the object of Emma's affections used to be her enemy, but she wanted Emma to be happy. This date made Emma happy. She was glad to help.

"Perfect. Just leave all the food to me."

"Okay. Good." Emma was still a little shocked and her words came out slow.

"Actually, you know what Ma?" Henry had stood and walked over to stand beside Snow.

"What's that?"

"You should just leave all of this to me and Grandma. We can make sure everything is perfect while you, ya know, get yourself together."

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you guys…"

"You didn't! We volunteered!" Snow chimed in. She didn't exactly know what Henry's plan was but she was excited by the idea that she could help her daughter and get to spend time with her grandson at the same time. "Don't worry about a thing, Em. We've got this covered."

* * *

Regina was staring at nothing in particular, drinking a glass of wine, when she heard her phone go off. She quickly grabbed the phone and opened the text message.

**Henry knows.**

Regina sighed. She already knew. She'd been watching the boy as he pulled the card from her jacket pocket and read it.

_**I know.** _

She closed her eyes. This had not been the way she wanted Henry to find out.

**You knew?! You should've given me a heads up to the tornado that was about to whip through my door.**

Regina chuckled. Emma Swan had quite the way of over exaggerating.

_**I'm sorry** _ **.**

She tossed back the rest of the wine and sighed contently. There was no more secret from Henry and Emma had finally asked her out.

**It's okay. I forgive you.**

_**Good, I wouldn't want you to be mad at me on our date.** _

She and Emma were finally going on a date. If Regina had had her say on the first date, it would've happened two months ago. But she'd wanted Emma to ask first, so, she waited and waited and waited. She had been about to crack with impatience when Emma had finally asked her that morning.

**Never. Can't wait.**

_**See you tomorrow Emma.** _

She smiled as she stood, sliding the phone in her pocket. She set the glass down and headed up the stairs toward her room. Opening her closet door and walking around, staring at the clothes that surrounded her.

_What am I going to wear?_

It was then that Regina realized she was actually…  _nervous._


	4. Chapter 4

"Don't wear that," Henry said as he watched his mother come out of the bathroom.

She observed herself in the mirror. She wore a short black dress and high black heels. After trying on multiple outfits that morning, she was sure this was sexy enough to please Miss Swan. She still had a couple hours before the date but she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

Raising her brows and placing her hands on her hips, she turned to face Henry.

"Since when do you give fashion advice Henry?"

He shrugged and gave her a sly grin.

"You know what we're doing don't you?" Of course he did, he seemed to always know about everything that was going on in their small town. Well, everything but the correspondence that happened between her and Emma for three months. Sighing she turned back to her closet and looked around at the clothes surrounding her. Her nerves were definitely all over the place.

* * *

On the other side of town, Emma was having the exact same problem. Of course, she knew what they were doing but that didn't mean it was any easier. She didn't think wearing a dress would be a good thing but she also didn't know if jeans would be sexy enough. She knew she couldn't compete with Regina but she sure could try.

"Are you sure no dress?" Snow sat on Emma's bed, watching her daughter freak out in front of her. "I wore a dress."

Emma whipped around and glared at her mother.

"You lived in fucking fairytale land mom! You wore dresses all the time!"

"Not always. I wore pants."

Emma groaned the rubbed at her temples.

"Emma, just be yourself."

"Myself? I am  _so_  not sexy as myself!"

Snow didn't quite know what to say. Did Emma want her to tell her she thought she was sexy?

_Okay that's a little too awkward for me._

"Emma, whatever you wear will be fine. If she had an issue with the way you dress yourself, she would've said something."

"I can't wear my red jacket. She hates the red jacket."

"So don't wear the red jacket. You have plenty of other jackets if you insist on wearing a jacket."

"You just said she likes me the way I am!"

"Good lord Emma." Snow stood, shaking her head, and walked over to her daughter, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Whatever you choose will work fine Em." Snow enveloped her in a hug before turning to leave the room. As she closed the door behind her, she heard Emma scream.

* * *

Snow, James, and Henry stood in the middle of the meadow, observing their work.

"We did good." He said as he leaned over to straighten the blanket on the ground.

"You're right Henry. We did wonderfully." Snow smiled at her grandson as she wrapped her arms around her husband. Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was nearly time for Emma and Regina to arrive.

"We've gotta get out of here. They'll be here soon."

Henry ran toward the car, James and Snow lagging behind.

"I'm very impressed Snow. Never in a million years did I think you would help set up a date for your daughter and the evil queen." He pulled her closer to him, there steps matching each other.

"She's not the evil queen anymore. I have to keep telling myself she's not, so stop calling her that."

James laughed. His wife was really trying.

"That's not my point."

"I know dear. I just… I thought about it a lot last night. I still really hate the idea but, I want her to be happy. Even if that means I'm not necessarily happy." Stopping, she looked up into her husband's eyes. "Mothers are supposed to want happiness for their daughters even if it doesn't make sense. Right?"

James nodded and bent to kiss her.

"Guys come on! They're going to be here any minute!" Henry yelled, popping his head out of the car.

Laughing, the two walked the rest of the way to the car hand in hand.

 _I hope everything goes well._  Snow thought, staring out the car window at the site glow coming from the meadow.

* * *

Emma had made sure she was at Regina's at seven sharp. She could not be late. She knew Regina hated when people were late and she did not want to start the evening out on a sour note.

**Everything is ready.**

Emma read the text from Henry and smiled. Quickly, she looked into the mirror, checking her makeup and making sure her blonde curls were in the right spot.

Stepping out of her car, she straightened her shirt and dusted any invisible dirt off of her black jeans. Instead of opting for a leather jacket, she wore a soft sweater she had recently bought for herself. She had on the nicest pair of black jeans she had tucked into the cleanest, un-scuffed boots in her closet. The outfit was very much her but it was nicer; dressy but not too dressy. She hoped it was enough to impress the always impeccably dressed Regina Mills.

Walking to the front door, her heart was in her stomach. Her hands were shaking and not from the slight chill in the air. She felt her heart racing and imagined her pulse almost thumping out of her neck. Before ringing the door bell, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

_You've got this Swan._

Pushing the doorbell, barely ten seconds passed by when the door opened. Regina had been waiting, pacing the house.

Emma had a hard time breathing; Regina was simply breath taking. Her brown locks were perfect and the red on her lips? It made Emma want to kiss her right there. When she finally was able to take her eyes from the beautiful woman's face, she noticed the outfit. She was wearing jeans. Regina Mills was wearing jeans. They looked incredible on her; dark and tight,  _very_ tight. She also wore  _the_  grey silk shirt. Emma had figured she'd burned it after she'd given it back to her.

A black blazer and black boots that went up passed Regina's knees completed the outfit. Diamonds studded her ears and the necklace she always wore hung beneath her shirt.

"Hi," Emma choked out. They'd stood there in silence for almost a minute.

Regina simply smiled. She herself had been checking the blonde out. She had been surprised when she didn't see the red leather the blonde seemed to don multiple times a week, actually any leather at all, and instead saw the sweater in its place. The sweater looked soft to the touch. She wanted to run her hand down Emma's arm and eventually take that sweater off of her.

_Wooooah there Regina._

Regina was impressed. Emma Swan really cleaned up well.

"Hello."

Emma looked awkwardly at the ground and shuffled her feet. Regina was relieved. The blonde was just as nervous as she was. Finally Emma looked up, a smile on her face.

"You look really great Regina. Are you um… ready to go?" Regina nodded, quickly grabbing her purse and locking the door behind her.

They walked down sidewalk towards Emma's bug. Opening the passenger side door for Regina, she was surprised when the brunette said nothing about it being a death trap. She quickly rounded the car and stopped just before opening the door. "You've got this," She murmured to herself before opening the door.

"So what are we doing Emma?" Regina's curiosity was peaked. Henry had said not to wear anything with too high of a heel and to wear pants.

Emma smirked, "You'll see." She turned the car onto the highway leading to the edge of town. Regina was puzzled, why were they leaving town?

 _Why is this so awkward?_  It was so silent and Emma couldn't think of a single thing to say. What was wrong with her? She'd never been this nervous. Not even when she'd met Regina at Granny's the night they'd defeated Cora.

_Ugh Emma, pull yourself together._

Finally reaching their destination, Emma pulled off to the side of the road. She could see a glow coming from the meadow. Hopping out, she went to open Regina's door and the look on the brunette's face made Emma laugh.

"What are we doing in the forest?" Regina was so confused. What kind of date happened in the forest?

Emma laughed again, "You'll see." She offered her hand to Regina, helping her along the path.

 _I'm holding Emma's hand._ She sighed contently. She'd wanted to do this for a long time. Finally noticing the glow ahead, she squeezed Emma's hand with excitement.

 _I'm holding Regina's hand. This is heaven._  She couldn't focus on anything other than the hand that was intertwined in hers. She hardly noticed the branch until she stumbled over it. Luckily, she didn't fall on her ass. But Regina did laugh.

_Smooth one Swan._

Emma blushed bright red and Regina smiled.

 _She's adorable._ Regina couldn't help but chuckle again.

They had almost reached the meadow when Emma pulled them to a stop and turned to face Regina. Getting up the courage, she put her empty hand on Regina's cheek.

"I hope you like it." She herself hoped she'd like it, not even knowing what the place looked like.

Smiling, she turned and pulled Regina into the meadow. It was night but there was light surrounding them. There had to have been more than a hundred candles.

 _That had to have been a bitch to light,_  Emma thought. She heard Regina's breath catch and turned to smile at her. Regina's eyes were wide, her mouth open slightly.

 _This is beautiful,_ they both thought, but for different reasons of course. Regina was amazed by the beautiful setting in front of them. Emma was amazed by the look of amazement on Regina's face.

"Emma…" Regina could hardly find the words. "This is  _so_  beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: After re reading this, I realize the whole meadow thing is a little Twilight-esque. That is not my intent at all. This is waaaay cooler. Also, the candle thing. I am a Grey's Anatomy fan and in one of the seasons, Meredith places candles in a shape of the house she wants with Derek. I watched that episode the other day and thought it was romantic so.. ba da bing, there it is.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma pulled Regina toward the middle of the meadow where the picnic basket was set up. She noticed the bouquet of flowers that sat on top of the basket; quickly grabbing them, she handed them to Regina.

"These are for you," she said, smiling.

"You have a thing for roses don't you Miss Swan?" Teasing, she smiled down at the roses. Her heart was beating fast and she was as giddy as a school girl with a crush.

"You know you like it Miss Mills." Emma responded, trying to wink as sexily as possible. Seeing the smile on Regina's face, she knew the flirting hadn't been too much

_I'm totally out of my league here. I don't know where I stand with this woman. What's too much and what's too little? Agh, shut the hell up Swan, you've got this._

As they sat down, Emma turned to the small, portable iPod dock that sat next to the basket with her iPod already attached. Henry had ordered her to make a special playlist for the evening. And while she knew some of the stuff Regina liked, there was not nearly enough to make a whole playlist. She had gone in blind, thinking of soft, romantic songs. The chords of 'Only You Can Love Me This Way' came on and she turned back to the basket.

It held a variety of things: a bottle of wine, glasses, plates and silverware, containers neatly packed with food, and a box of chocolates. As Emma unpacked the basket, she noticed a small note at the bottom.

**Good luck!**

**Mom, Dad, and Henry.**

She couldn't help but smile. They had really pulled through for her.

_It's what family does Emma._

Regina watched Emma as she opened the containers, occasionally looking up to smile at her.

"Did you cook this?" Regina was going to be shocked if she had. Emma almost doubled over in laughter and then blushed as red as the wine in the bottle.

"That's funny," She sighed, "Actually no, I had a little help from my family. I can't cook to save my life."

"Is it safe for me to eat?" Regina meant it jokily, a smirk on her face. Emma didn't quite get that it was a joke.

"Oh… um… I'm…"

"Emma dear, I was joking."

Emma sighed, mentally kicking herself in the ass.

_Way to lose your cool Swan._

"Oh okay. Good. Well I don't think my mom would do that, I mean sheknowshowmuchIlikeyou." The final part came out in a rush while she looked at the wine bottle in her hand.

 _Great,_ she thought. Her nerves were getting worse by the second and she was making things awkward.

"What was that?" Regina had heard her clearly but she wanted Emma to look her in the eyes and say it. The blonde blushed again and Regina felt her heart beat faster.

"She knows how much I like you." She couldn't bring herself to look at the brunette. She didn't know what she was afraid of. Maybe rejection or pity?

Sensing how awkward Emma felt, Regina slid a finger under the blonde's chin, making their eyes meet.

"Does she know how much I like  _you_?"

Emma pulled her chin away, looking at the glasses to make sure she wasn't making a mess while pouring.

" _I_ don't even know how much you like me." She handed a glass to Regina, looking up only to take a drink.

"If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have talked to you constantly for three months. I wouldn't have waited this long for the first date. Really Emma, I thought you had more common sense than that," she smiled, hoping Emma caught on. The returning blush confirmed as much.

_When she blushes… Oh it's killing me._

For the next couple hours, the two ate the wonderful food Snow and James had prepared, talking about their lives, the things they had found over the three months of talking that they surprisingly had in common, and of course, Henry. Regina told a couple stories from the other land and Emma tried to tell jokes, only to fail miserably. Though Regina did laugh after jokingly telling her how awful they were.

When the food and plates were put away, leaving the wine and the chocolates, they sat in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. The air was getting colder and they hadn't brought jackets. Luckily, Snow and James had thought of the possibility of the weather getting chillier as the night went on and left an extra blanket. When Emma noticed Regina shiver, she wrapped the soft, red blanket around the brunette's shoulders. Regina was thankful but, what she really wanted was to get Emma as close to her as possible. So she scooted closer and wrapped Emma in the blanket too, smiling when the blonde acted a bit surprised.

"You'd think we'd be warmer being surrounded by a million candles." Emma said, slightly nervous by how close the two were together. Looking around, she noticed the candles were already over half way melted, the light getting dimmer. Regina didn't respond, just watched the blonde next to her.

"Where do you see your life going Emma?" Regina needed an answer. Now that the curse was broke and Cora had been defeated, the boundary lines lifted and the town finally happy with this world, what was Emma going to do? Was she going to leave town, possibly fight for custody of Henry? Was she going to stay here and continue being sheriff? Did she see herself happy here? Was she a part of Emma's future?

_This is your first date Regina, you need to slow down._

But she couldn't. Even if this was the first date, she was sure she had fallen in love the moment Emma emerged out of the well. Or was it the mine? She didn't know. At this point, it could've been when the silly blonde came into town for the first time. At times she felt she could kill the blonde, she was so irritating. Putting that aside though, she knew, and she would never, ever admit it out loud, she had fallen hard for the blonde. She always thought about her. She constantly found herself typing a message to send and erasing it because she didn't want to be irritating or even dialing the blonde simply to hear her voice.

_You are one infatuated woman._

She had been too wrapped in her own thoughts to notice that Emma had been wrapped in her own. Emma didn't know what to say. There was no way in hell she was leaving. She could say that much. But the future she wanted? She didn't want to take a chance admitting it, only to be rejected or humiliated.

_She said she liked you._

"Emma?" Regina was staring, waiting for an answer.

_Oh jeez, I've taken too long to think about this. Just say it._

_She's hesitating. What does that mean?_

"I… plan on staying here. My parents are here. Henry's here. And…" She trailed off, looking around at her surroundings.

"And?" The brunette's heart was beating ridiculously fast.

"And…well… you're here." She was relieved to get it off of her chest but she was expecting the worse. Regina had turned her head to hide the ginormous smile on her face, trying to keep her heart from exploding. She hadn't felt this enamored in such a long time.

_Since Daniel._

Neither said anything. Emma mentally punched herself in the face. She was really beating herself up for all the stupid things she said.

_Well stop saying stupid shit, Swan._

Regina's thoughts were going in every direction at hundreds of miles per hour. Emma was staying here. Emma was staying because she was here. Well because of her parents and Henry but she had been included in there.

When a new song started and it was one both women recognized, Emma turned to look at Regina. Seeing the smile on the brunette's face made Emma's much bigger. Standing, she reached out her hand, willing Regina to take it.

"Do you want to dance? I really like this song."

 _Please say yes, please say yes_.

Regina didn't remember the last time someone had asked her to dance. Of course it had been back in fairy tale land, but King Leopold never asked her to dance. He was always so wrapped up in other things. Pushing away the bitterness, she took Emma's hand, nodding. Emma pulled Regina to her feet and placed her hands in what she assumed were the appropriate places. Regina knew it wasn't right but she didn't care. She was dancing with Emma and that's all she wanted in that moment.

They danced in the meadow, awkwardly at first, but they eventually got the hang of it and moved closer.

_-That's when you need someone, someone that you can call, when all your faith is gone, it feels like you can't go on, Let it be me. Let it be me.-_

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's shoulders, placing her head next to hers while Emma pulled Regina closer, one hand at the small of her back while the other was between the brunette's shoulder blades.

_-I remember all too well, Just how it feels to be all alone, You feel like you'd give anything, For just a little place you can call your own-_

Emma started singing quietly in Regina's ear, pulling her as close to her as possible

_-Let it be me, let it be me-_

_Oh Emma._

Regina felt a small tear trickle down her cheek. She'd been alone for so long. Sure she had Henry but that wasn't the same. She wanted someone to hold her, to tell her she was going to be okay, to  _be_  there for her. Regina mentally kicked herself.

_You're going way too fast Regina. She may not even feel that deeply about you._

Emma kept singing.

_If it's a friend you need, let it be me. Let it be me_

When the song had stopped and another one came on, they kept dancing, content just being close to each other. After a few more songs, they finally pulled a part. The candles were gone and an eerie fog was starting to form.

Regina had expected Emma to kiss her but she didn't.

_I don't understand. We've kissed before. Maybe… she doesn't feel the same._

Emma wanted to kiss Regina but didn't know if it was the right time. She remembered the night of Cora's defeat and how passionate they'd been during the make out session at Granny's. But that was different in Emma's mind. They were going off of adrenaline and excitement then. This was more intimate. Much more personal.

_Don't push it. It's been a great night. We don't need it to end with her pushing you away after you try to make a move._

"It's late and I'm sure Henry's waiting up for you," Emma said to Regina, turning to clean up the picnic.

_What the hell is wrong with you?! That's how you're going to end that awesome moment, Swan?_

She was kicking herself but she needed a moment away. If they had stayed that close for too much longer, she was sure she would've tried to kiss that beautiful woman, and she wasn't sure if Regina would push her away or not. She couldn't be rejected, she just couldn't.

"Right. We should probably get going." Regina said, bending to help Emma pick up what was left of the picnic. She blamed herself. She had done something to make the blonde not want her.

"The candles?" Regina asked, not sure they could carry them all.

"I've got it figured out, don't worry about it."

"Oh. Okay." Regina felt like Emma was giving her the cold shoulder.

_What did I do?_

Emma realized she was being kind of stand-offish. But it didn't matter because every other thought running through her brain was that of undressing Regina and kissing her bare skin, having her right there, kissing those red lips. She smiled at Regina, hoping to make up for seeming cold.

_Act cool. You're probably giving her whiplash from all the different signals you're giving._

Gathering the picnic in their arms, they walked back to the car, Emma careful to avoid any stray branches or roots. After putting it in the small trunk of her bug, she opened the door for Regina. Regina gave her a hesitant smile.

 _Way to mess it up Regina._ She felt her heart swell and yelled at herself not to start crying.  _Jesus Regina! It's just a kiss._

She pinched herself as Emma hopped into the seat next to her, starting the engine and turning the car back toward town.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were walking up the sidewalk to Regina's house. Stopping on the porch, Regina turned to face Emma, leaning against the front door.

"I had a really great time tonight." She smiled, trying to hide the sadness inside of her. She didn't think there would be another date with Emma.

"I did too. It was wonderful," Emma returned the smile, shuffling her feet.

 _This is the most awkward thing ever,_ she thought.

"I guess I'll see you later?" Regina turned, unlocking the door. She needed to get inside so she could cry in private.

 _You're going to cry Regina? Really?_ Again she tried to yell at herself, she did. But this woman had dug her way in and she'd allowed it. Now this… rejection? This was difficult.

"Uh, sure."

_She's telling you to leave, Swan._

Regina glanced briefly over her shoulder, "Have a good night Miss Swan." She closed the door behind her and sunk to the ground, back against the door.

Emma felt like a knife had gone through her chest.

 _Miss Swan. We're back to that again_.  _You really fucked this one up Emma. There's that piece of rejection your ordered. Would you like some whip cream with that?_ She turned and kicked the sidewalk, walking toward her car.

* * *

Regina was sobbing in her house, making sure she wasn't loud enough to be heard through the door.

_What the hell did you do Regina?_

She couldn't stop, even though she was hearing her mother yelling in her brain, telling her she was pathetic. She felt alone, so very alone. She needed her bed. Standing, she turned to flip off the porch light.

* * *

Emma was almost to her car when a red flag seemed to start waving in her brain. Stopping, she turned just as the porch light went off.

_Fuck it._

She ran back toward the house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note, the two songs in this story are Only You Can Love Me This Way by Keith Urban, which is not really important but I thought I'd share, and Let It Be Me by Ray LaMontagne.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina was halfway up the stairs when the doorbell rang, followed by insistent knocking.

_What in the world?_

The knocking stoppedand Regina turned, waiting to see if it would continue. After a few seconds, the knocking proceeded. She hesitantly walked back down the stairs, trying to wipe away the tears the best she could. She imagined her makeup was smudged but she didn't care. Let whoever this was see what a broken Regina looked like.

Emma waited patiently, hoping Regina would open the door. Hoping she wasn't mad at her. She shuffled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She tried to slip her hand into her pockets but there were none. It was an automatic thing for her. Her jackets always had pockets.

_This is your one shot Swan._

Regina opened the door and Emma could see she had been crying. She felt a pain in her chest as she watched Regina step onto the porch and close the door behind her, her face tear stained. Even if it was dark, it was clearly noticeable that she was upset.

"Emma?"

"Regina. I…" she said, stepping closer.

Emma couldn't stand it anymore. She pushed Regina against the door, placing both hands on Regina's cheeks. She kissed her, hard, not waiting for permission. She tasted the salt of Regina's tears and felt as if she herself could cry. She'd made this beautiful, beautiful woman cry and she hated herself for it.

 _Oh,_  Regina was shocked at first but soon enough, she melted into Emma, kissing her back. She wrapped her arms behind the blonde's back and pulled her closer. Each part of their bodies was touching and they felt connected. Emma parted Regina's lips with her tongue, exploring the brunette's mouth.

Regina lost herself in the amazing kiss the blonde was gifting her with. She could imagine herself kissing Emma Swan forever and ever, the rest of eternity. She slid her hands down to rest on the curve of Emma's butt. Emma had placed her hands next to Regina's head on the door, trying to brace herself from falling. She felt weak in the knees kissing Regina.

This wasn't at all like the time they made out at Granny's. That was just… well Emma didn't know how to explain it. This was  _the_ kiss. Not technically their first but it felt like it. Emma took a step back, pulling Regina with her. She needed to sit down, afraid she was going to fall down from being so light headed, but she didn't want to stop kissing her. They never broke contact as they sat down on the porch step.

Regina clasped her hands together behind Emma's head.

_Don't ever stop kissing me._

Emma needed air. Releasing their lips she took a breath and kissed down Regina's jaw.

"I'm sorry Regina," she said between kisses. "I didn't know if it was the right time to kiss you. And…I don't do well with rejection.

Regina pulled her face back to look into Emma's beautiful green eyes.

 _That's what that was about. She was scared_ I _wouldn't want her._

"You don't need to worry about that Emma," she pressed their lips together, deepening the kiss, wanting to reassure the blonde that rejection was not an option.

Emma felt better but she had to make Regina feel better. She had made the woman cry after all. She wrapped her arms around the brunette, pulling her so close, wanting her to know that she was there for her, that she never had to be alone again. That was, if Regina wanted her, which at this point, it seemed she did.

Regina could feel herself smile against Emma's mouth. Emma wanted her. She wanted Emma. It was perfect. Taking a breath, she moved herself to straddle Emma's lap. It was awkward but she made it work, wrapping her arms around Emma's neck. She pulled Emma's mouth to meet hers once again.

 _I wouldn't mind kissing this woman forever._ Emma thought, letting Regina take control of the situation. Regina explored her mouth, their tongues dancing. Regina moved her hands down and around Emma's back, sliding her hands under the back of her sweater, feeling Emma's soft skin. While Regina felt around, Emma moved her mouth to kiss along Regina's jaw and down her neck.

"You're beautiful, Regina," she whispered. She heard Regina sigh and kept kissing around Regina's neck, unbuttoning a couple of buttons so she could kiss farther down along her collar bone.

"We should probably take this inside, Em." Emma didn't listen, placing her mouth on Regina's. Emma moved her hands up to tangle in Regina's hair. She was beginning to feel hot, very, very hot.

_It's only your first date, Swan. Oh shut up. But seriously, you need to step away. Ugh, just a little bit longer._

Emma felt like she was fighting two people in her brain, which only made her think she was crazy. She wasn't going to let this go further than hands and kisses.

So wrapped up in each other, they didn't notice when the door clicked open and Henry stepped out, eyes going wide as he saw his mothers practically groping each other. He couldn't help the 'Eww' from escaping his mouth as he walked back into the house, closing the door as quietly as he could behind him.

Regina knew they had been caught but kissed Emma just a few more seconds.

 _Poor Henry,_ she pulled away and laughed.

"What?" Emma asked. "Why are you laughing at me?"

Regina continued to laugh, resting their foreheads together.

"Not laughing at you, dear. I'm laughing about the fact that we just got caught making out like teenagers by our eleven year old son." She couldn't help but chuckle again.

"Oh. We did?" When Regina nodded, Emma couldn't help but laugh, feeling bad for the kid.

Regina slid off of Emma's lap, moving to sit next to her. Emma grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Wow," Regina pulled Emma's hand into her lap, looking at their hands laced together.

"Definitely." Emma grinned. She couldn't help it.

"I'm glad you got the lady balls to come back," Regina said smirking.

 _Oh. My. God. Did Regina Mills just say lady balls?_ Emma was stunned.

"I've picked up some of your lingo Miss Swan." She leaned in to give the blonde a quick kiss.

"I'm glad I got the lady balls to come back and give you the kiss you deserve."

"You know, you can still come inside if you'd like." Regina grinned playfully, kissing her again.

"I think Henry is probably scarred enough for one night." Emma smiled and stood, offering a hand to help Regina stand.

"But…" Regina was interrupted by Emma's finger, which had been pressed against her lips.

"This is only our first date 'Gina." Smirking, Emma kissed her once more and stepped off the porch, walking to her car.

"Good night, Regina," She called, looking over her shoulder at the brunette standing on the porch, who looked a little lost.

Getting into her car, she turned the music up and drove home, so happy with the way the night had turned out.

_Good job, Swan._

Regina was still standing on the porch when Emma's car pulled away. She felt her swollen lips and shook her head, turning toward the door.

_What a tease._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending was kind of inspired by the song (Kissed You) Goodnight by Gloriana. OH and also, the part where Emma walks away at the end, Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones was playing. I thought it was a good way to end. It had me smiling. Just thought I'd share :)


End file.
